Bronze Malifects
A strange tech-heresy gripped the Josian Reach in the latter half of the 8th century M41. The augmetic scholae, techadepts who built and maintained cybernetic devices, became warp-tainted in many diverse locations. The hereteks built malformed machine altars and conducted corruptions of Mechanicus rituals. They succumbed to madness and mindrust, engraved screeds of warp-nonsense across every surface, and toiled upon twisted devices. One such device is the bronze malifect, an ugly arrangement of bronze augmetic limbs infused with a murderous spirit of the warp. Inactive, a malifect appears to be a large heap of war-damaged augmetic arms and legs, as though they were removed from dead Guardsmen and thrown in a pile. On closer inspection, the arrangement is the deliberate work of a madman. The bronze autolimbs are plasma-welded together such that the mass is joined into one large device, capable of articulation and movement: a stump to a wrist, legs side by side, an arm projecting from a thigh, and so on. Data conduits and power lines weave throughout the whole, linking small potentia coils and scavenged flexor-devices. Heretek sigils and nonsensical machine cant scripts are inscribed upon the most crucial linkages. When active and infused with the power of the warp, a malifect moves rapidly with purpose and malignant intent. The daemon-spirit within guides the machine beast and senses terrified victims through unknown means—the malifect incorporates no ocular components or processing devices capable of initiating movement. It is the warp alone, clothed in metal, hungry for death and pain, that motivates the device. The bronze malifect is guard and ambusher within remote Machine Temples and drifting medicae vessels touched by the warp. It has a simple-minded fascination with medical tools: saws, scalpels, hooks, clamps, and probes. The daemon within exhibits a low cunning, lying in wait until its lust for flesh can no longer be suppressed—and then it leaps forth to choke and stab. More complex strategies are beyond it. The bodies of the dead are left torn, sliced, and splayed open as though examined by a mad vivisectionist. Other perversions of medical tech-devices and machine spirits accompany outbreaks of tech-heresy in the Josian Reach: the dead made to rise and walk on warp-infused machine limbs, the living driven irrevocably insane upon operating tables, and sacrificial altars made of scalpels and bone-saws. Of all these, the bronze malifect presents perhaps the greatest danger to servants of the Holy Ordos. Bronze Malifects Characteristics Other Bronze Malifect information Move: 3/6/9/18 Wounds: 20 Skills: Awareness (Per). Talents: Melee Weapon Training (Primitive, Unarmed). Traits: Machine(4), Multiple Arms, Size (Hulking), Strange Physiology, Sturdy, ††Two Hands for Each Throat, †††Two More to Hold Them Down, Unnatural Senses (100 meters), Unnatural Strength (x2). ††Two Hands for Each Throat: With its many Multiple Arms, the Malifect may make two attacks against every target within reach of its arms each Round. †††Two More to Hold Them Down: A Malifect typically attempts to Grapple all of the opponents it is attacking. It may continue to make one attack each Round against a successfully Grappled opponent, gaining the normal bonuses and benefits from attacking a Grappled opponent. Armour: None (4). Weapons: Unarmed (1d5+7† I; Primitive), medical implements (1d10+8† R; Pen 2; Unbalanced). †Includes Strength Bonus. Threat Rating: Malleus Minoris. Category:Hostile NPCs